1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal structure which is provided with a male terminal and a female terminal having at least one set of elastic plate parts and in which the male terminal is inserted between the at least one set of elastic plate parts of the female terminal from a fixed direction to cause both side surfaces of the male terminal to be pressed from both sides between the elastic plate parts due to the elastic force of the elastic plate parts, and the male terminal and the female terminal are electrically connected to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art relating to the terminal structure described above is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-057204.
As shown in FIG. 24 to FIG. 26, the terminal structure disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-057204 is provided with flat-plate-like male terminals 101 (refer to FIG. 26) and female terminals 105 having a plurality of sets of elastic plate parts 103 and 104 configured to allow the male terminals 101 to be inserted in a predetermined direction (refer to FIG. 24 and FIG. 25).
The left and right elastic plate parts 103 and 104 of female terminal 105 are provided at the same height above left and right support plate parts 107 and 108 that are disposed in parallel, and are bent so as to approach each other as they extend from the support plate parts 107 and 108. That is, as shown in FIG. 25, the elastic plate parts 103 and 104 are formed symmetrically with respect to an insertion center line CL of the male terminal 101, and when the male terminal 101 is inserted, contact parts 103c and 104c formed at the distal end positions (rear end positions) of the elastic plate parts 103 and 104 are held in contact with each side surfaces of the male terminal 101.
Due to the above construction, when the male terminal 101 is inserted into the female terminal 105, the right and left elastic plate parts 103 and 104 of the female terminal 105 are forced to spread each other with respect to the insertion center line CL by the male terminal 101 against the elastic force. Then, the left side surface and the right side surface of the male terminal 101 are pressed by the contact parts 103c and 104c of the left and right elastic plate parts 103 and 104 of the female terminal 105, and the male terminal 101 and the female terminal 105 are electrically connected to each other.
Further, two sets of the above-mentioned female terminals 105 may be provided in line in the insertion direction of the male terminal 101. By providing two sets of the female terminals 105 in this way, contact areas between the male terminal 101 and the female terminals 105 increase, and it becomes possible to reduce the electric current that flows through one contact part. As a result, wear of the terminals can be suppressed and operating life of the terminal can be increased.
As shown in FIGS. 24 and 2 FIG. 5, the elastic plate parts 103 and 104 of each female terminal 105 of the above-described terminal structure are formed symmetrically with respect to the insertion center line CL of the male terminal 101, and are provided at the same height. Thus, the positions where the contact parts 103c of the left-hand side elastic plate parts 103 of the female terminal 105 are held in contact with the left side surface of the male terminal 101, and the positions where the contact parts 104c of the right-hand side elastic plate parts 104 are held in contact with the right-hand side surface of the male terminal 101, are the same in height and the insertion direction.
That is, as the male terminal 101 is inserted and extracted to and from the female terminals 105 many times, the right and left side surfaces of the male terminal 101 are worn away at the same position over time. Further, when the male terminal 101 is worn away by half in thickness over time, a hole may be created in the male terminal 101 as a result of the wear, and the terminal will not be unusable. Thus, at the time when the male terminal is worn away by half in thickness, the terminal reaches an end of the operating life.
Further, in the construction in which two sets of the female terminals 105 are provided in line in the insertion direction of the male terminal 101, it is necessary for the male terminal 101 to extend in the insertion direction. As a result, a size of the male terminal 101 increases. Further, since two sets of the female terminals 105 are disposed in line in the insertion direction of the male terminal 101, a installation space for the female terminals 105 will be large.